Friday we we drove over to Richmond Indiana, an interesting historical city on the old National Road, US 40. The area stretching about 20 or so miles to the west along the old road is loaded with interesting old structures, easily identified if you know what to look for.....low sloping roofs and second stories which have low sidewalls.

The best section is in Centerville In. I have driven through the little town many times and have always been taken with the number of very grand (for the time) pre civil war structures. I have also noted that it seemed to have more older structures than Richmond does even though Richmond is much bigger. After reading the history attached below from Wikipedia I now understand. At the time when all the lovely old structures were built in Centerville it was the most important city around, and was the county seat. I spent about an hour in the old Centerville courthouse which is now the library using their internet.

As Richmond grew,surpassing Centerville in population by a lot, the county seat was moved there (after a fierce battle). The late 1800s courthouse there is made of massive limestone in the style of H H Richardson, a very famous and prolific Architect for that era. We ate in the Historic Richmond Inn which was very good. the area we ate in was an old house with very impressive oak trim, fireplaces and pocket doors that were about 2 3/8" thick.

This exerpt if from Wiki regarding Centerville:
History[edit]
Centerville was platted in 1814 on land that once belonged to the Miami Indians and was settled by Quakers from Carolina and Virginia. A little-known county seat war was fought in Wayne County, Indiana in 1873 between Centerville and Richmond. The county seat had been located in Centerville (Center Township) since 1818.[10] By 1870, Richmond (Wayne Township) had surpassed Centerville in business, population, and tax revenue. These factors led the population of Wayne Township to demand the county seat be moved to Richmond. The dispute was played out in the newspapers, courts, and petitions with Richmond the eventual winner. A new courthouse was erected in Richmond and preparations were made to move records from Centerville to Richmond. Centerville stopped Richmond’s officials’ efforts to move the records twice. Once with locked gates with guards and the second by firing on their own courthouse with a three-pound cannon nicknamed “Black Betty.” The cannon was used when Richmond guards were brought in to protect the records. The cannon had been loaded with iron scraps. A crowd demanded the guard come out of the Centerville courthouse. When they refused, the cannon was fired, the door blown off its hinges, and the guards were forced to beat a hasty retreat.[11]
Soldiers were brought in the next day to move the records to Richmond. Centerville’s tenure as county seat had come to an end.
The holes from the cannon shot are still visible over the door of the old courthouse, now the Center Township Library.

Center Township Library
In 1828, the National Road, Main Street, was surveyed and later became the first improved section of the trail in 1850 by a Special Act of the U.S. Congress.
Centerville's cobblestone street was a major stop along the trail to the West. During the height of the Gold Rush, 49,000 wagons would travel along the street each year.
Centerville is known as the “City of Arches” due to the five main arches it has located on the Old National Road. The road used to be 100 feet wide, but was shortened to 65 feet due to the people of Centerville adding on to the front of the businesses and houses. The arches were used as a way to get behind the buildings and into the backyards of the houses.[12] The five arches that are located in Centerville are the Backenstoes Archway, Dill Archway, Shortridge Archway, Lantz Archway, and Malone Archway. They were all built between 1823 and 1836.[13] They are all located on National Road in Centerville. In August, Centerville has Archway Days, which is held in celebration and honor of the historical archways. They have food, games, and prizes, which attracts people from all over the state.

Backenstoes Archway


Shortridge Archway


Malone Archway

Attached Thumbnails

         

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..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Great read! Thanks for posting it.

Neanderthal architecture? Com'on dude we are busy peeps here!!